Goodbye notice to friends

[blue_lotus13]

I just sent this to my friends- thought I'd list it here-

An old Mongolian shaman once told me, "The happiest people are the nomads."
I'm definitely not the happiest person, but I do have some of that nomadic
spirit and I'm moving to the eighth place that I intend to call "home."

I've accepted a job with the Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune, where I'll
be employed as their Arts and Lifestyles feature writer. I'll have benefits
for the first time in my life! Grande Prairie is in northern Alberta and has
a booming population of 50,000. It does have an arts community, three yoga
studios and a small literary festival and even gets some concerts- the
Tragically Hip and Snoop Doggy Dog will be performing there in January.
Maybe I'll get the chance to interview Snoop and touch his bling.

My job starts January 8, and I just found out today. I'm leaving for
Saskatoon on Thursday, so I won't get a chance to see a lot of you before I
go. I'm admittedly rather shitty at goodbyes and don't like them too much,
because I tend to get too emotional and then try to hide it by acting really
wooden and coming off as insensitive. I'm not though- I'm actually crying as
I write this. Anyway, it's not a good scene.

So I'm recommending a big party in May, when I come into town for my book
launch during Asian Heritage Month. My book will be available in April, and
you'll be able to buy it at Amazon, possibly Chapters or online from
www.frontenachouse.com

I want to thank all of you for your friendship and for making Vancouver
truly "home" for the past 2.5 years, which is the longest I've lived
anywhere. I especially want to thank everyone who has been there for me
during the past six months, as I attempted to claw my way out of the black
pit of one of the worst depressions I've ever had in my life. Your support
helped me get my life back and I will be forever grateful.

I may be back someday; I think I could call Vancouver home once again.

With love and gratitude,

Alexis

Comments

congrats

[prairie-girlq8.livejournal.com]

Hey gorgeous!

Most sincere congratulations on the latest assignmenti n GP. Have a restful break in Saskatoon and enjoy the liberating feeling of leaving the dance centre. You are amazing and brilliant, my friend, and I agree the nomadic lifestyle is the happiest and simplest way to find freedom and peace.

lots of love,
r

[meli-mello.livejournal.com]

That letter is lovely!

[carpetofstars.livejournal.com]

huge congratulations on the new job! that letter is wonderful, too.

[joeychen.livejournal.com]

that's a beautiful letter! Congrats again, this sounds like a wonderful move and opportunity!

[ilovepolaroids.livejournal.com]

congratulations on the new job! sounds great and quite perfect for you.

[rubyfive.livejournal.com]

congratulations and good luck! i can't wait to hear about your new adventures!

[graphxgrrl.livejournal.com]

Congratulations, what a wonderful opportunity for you! I will definitely try and make it north in the spring.

[oyvavoy.livejournal.com]

I have family in Grand Prairie! but I have never visited really. Thank you for the letter! This is such an awesome adventure you are starting! Best of luck and congrats!! Can't wait for your book launch!!!

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

Very cool. Good on you. Enjoy the quiet and open space... they're rare in this old world. As one of my teachers said to me once, "Walk good."

Anyway, you'll still be blogging here, right? :)

[zocalo.livejournal.com]

CONGRATS! I'm totally nomadic myself! Get very restless in one place. Good luck in Alberta! And Merry Xmas!

[pure-sweet-hell.livejournal.com]

Congrats, I'm so proud of you! All the best to you in Alberta..and can't wait for May!

[listersgirl]

I've been reading backwards (and for the first time in days), but I'm SO THRILLED to read that you got the job. And it's so soon! You are going to rock GP, and it'll be an awesome experience. Hooray for writing jobs!

Also, I'm selfishly pleased that I got to see you before you left. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I bought you Melissa Hui's new CD "and blue sparks burn" from the Canadian Music Centre this morning as a peace offering. Can I drop it off to you?

[blue-lotus.livejournal.com]

Who is this?

[(Anonymous)]

I was reading your journal for months, then I friended you to make it easier to read, then I posted a comment that I found one of your posts to be a bit of a generalization, then you deleted the post and BANNED me. (Hence the anonymous).

I thought at the time this was a bit of an over-reaction, since I generally like your writing quite a bit. But then, perhaps I was being over-sensitive, since so many people say "girls read more than boys", but I don't personally know any of those kids - as I said, my son reads more than I do, even. Eragon in 2 days? Come on. If you hear something enough, the problem then is that things, education, ads, programs and so forth, are designed around received ideas, and not what may or may not obtain. Who can unravel the theads of received ideas? It's a careful process, and none of us are perfect at it, or even patient enough to try.

So, we clashed, and yet, I still enjoyed reading your journal, but after passing you on the street a few times, I started to feel weird, and unfriended you, though I still read your journal.

I honestly live on a diagonal from work that passes through the Library. I don't drive - cars are terrible things, really, wasteful and so forth.

Often, on my daily walk between the West End and my place of work, Carnegie, I have passed you, by The Hockey Sweater reading at Word on the Street, or just the other day by the post office, with my son once on Commercial at the bridge too, as well, among others. I want to smile at you, but it seems somehow wrong.

I thought it stupid that I feel I've somehow transgressed, when all I did was make a comment that, yes, I admit, was a little rough, but not at all malicious. You are beautiful and intelligent and a great contribution to the culture of Vancouver, which will miss you when you've gone.

When I read you were leaving, I wanted to give you a gift, because, even though I did not intend to offend you, I did, and I feel bad about that, especially since, as I've said, I generally like your writing.

The Melissa Hui is cause she's my favourite female Canadian composer.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, sheesh, I wish you good luck anyway.

I just read over the post you banned me for, which I reposted on my lj, and I think you missed a great opportunity for interaction. I just don't get it at all.

I never have been good at saying or writing what people want to hear, and you can see by my lj, which I know you checked out, that I don't say stuff just be part of a crowd.

But I do sincerely trust that that is not the actual reason you have responded to me as you have. Whatever the response, it had almost nothing to do with what I wrote. I am didn't attend the John Cage events I wanted to because I didn't want you to think I was trying to run into you. Now I see that I was right not to go.

At any rate, I give up. Good luck, even so. And I mean that.

[blue-lotus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I just got back to town, but am leaving very soon and am swamped by packing. I hope that you're doing well. I don't know what you look like in person at all.